Saturday, October 8, 2016

Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum (10/8/2016)

Saturday, October 8, 2016
A day trip to Buffalo, NY for Tamiko's Homecoming at University at Buffalo, but first a stop at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum. Housed in a former Mack Truck dealership building with a new addition, this museum displays the collection of James Sandoro, Jr and his wife, Mary Ann.
Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum
The emphasis is on transportation vehicles built in Buffalo.
Banner on the museum
Early hub caps
Klaxons/electromechanical horns and early car horn;
with two boa constrictor horns
The bicycle collection; they are getting ready to
formalize the bicycle display
Pierce-Arrow hood ornaments
In the 1870s the George N Pierce Company produced household items, including metalwork such as bird cages. When bicycles were in demand, they began building those, and introduced innovations such as the cushion frame and coaster brake. In 1901 the company produced its first automobile, and manufactured bicycles and motorcycles until 1915. In 1906 they moved from downtown to a new factory on Elmwood Avenue at Great Arrow Avenue, and in 1908 it became the Pierce-Arrow Company to manufacture larger luxury automobiles. Success continued as they produced trucks for World War I. The auto industry was hit hard during the Great Depression. In 1928 Pierce-Arrow was sold to Studebaker, who went bankrupt in 1933, and the company was sold to Buffalo investors. They went bankrupt in 1938.
Pierce-Arrow pinstriper's tools
Collection of oil cans
Ceramic medallion from the Elmwood Avenue plant
1902 Buffalo Stanhope, built by the Buffalo Electric Carriage Company
I was fascinated by the display cases,
with an adjustable cross bar and
side loop bars on each side
1913 Baby Peugeot; it's really small!
1941 Crosley, made in Cincinnati
1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 43 Roadster
Automobile display including a 1934 Pierce-Arrow V-12,
an all weather town brougham
Artist rendering of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed filling station
The founder of this museum took an amazing step in raising money (millions of dollars) to purchase the rights to a design of Frank Lloyd Wright that had never been built, and then build it! Because there is so much copper in the design, the building is protected within a larger new addition.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed filling station in poured concrete and copper
Trying to get the whole of the Frank Lloyd Wright filling station
Gravity assisted fuel dispensers
Designed for the company Tydol, whose name you can barely discern
in a sign that would have been the first neon sign in Buffalo
Steps to the ladies' room and waiting room
A peek into the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
waiting room, including furniture and lamps
Having never designed a filling station before, Frank Lloyd Wright apparently had included fire places in this station, below the gas holding tank! Since the Tydol owners could not afford the cost of the design ($1,750 when their budget was $700!), and it was never built, the quirks in the design that would not have worked were never ironed out.
The Playboy, built by the Playboy Motor Car Company in Buffalo;
the company lasted from 1947-1951 before going bankrupt;
the name was then taken by Hugh Hefner for his magazine
1935 Auburn 851 Boat Tail Speedster Supercharged
1913 Ohio Electric Car, built in Toledo
1918 Pierce-Arrow 7-Passenger Touring Car
1919 Pierce-Arrow Town Car
1931 Pierce-Arrow Series 43 Club Sedan
Note the wooden spokes
1931 Pierce-Arrow Tow Car
1935 bulletproof Pierce-Arrow ordered by J Edgar Hoover, FBI Director
Motorette (circa 1947), built by the Motorette Company of Buffalo
John Bond Roadster built with a 1934 Bentley body
Someone drove this Auburn car out into the parking lot (KSS)
Auburn hood ornament (KSS)
1960 Chevrolet El Camino (KSS)
On to the University at Buffalo.
Entrance to Stampede Square, where the cheering for the UB Bulls begins
You could enter for a chance to kick a field goal to win this BMW i8
The ubiquitous mechanical bull
The Eddie Money band entertains us
The UB Bulls mascot Victor E Bull
poses with a fan, and the NFL Buffalo Bills
mascot Billy Buffalo
The Buffalo Bandits (lacrosse) mascot Rax
joins the fun
As well as Sabretooth,
the NHL Buffalo Sabres mascot
Ready to welcome the UB Bulls football team
The UB Bulls vs the Kent State University Golden Flashes;
Kent State went on to win the game 44-20
Kent State University is where Kent's parents met.

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